PREVAILING-WAGE FEUD STALLS SEMO PROJECTS

A tentative agreement was reached Wednesday to resolve a prevailing-wage dispute that has held up several construction projects at Southeast Missouri State University.

The agreement between two labor unions and state wage-determin~ation officials must be approved by the Missouri Labor and Industrial Relations Commission before it can take effect.

"What they are trying to do is get this resolved in four or five days and then we should be free to go back out onto the market for these jobs," said Bill Moon, physical plant director at Southeast.

The university should be in a position to advertise for bids on a number of construction projects by the middle of next week, he said.

Moon said Wednesday he was glad the issue has apparently been resolved and the projects can move forward.

Local officials of the two labor unions could not be reached for comment.

Moon said university projects carrying a total price tag of about $1 million, including the long-awaited construction of elevators to make three buildings accessible to the handicapped, have been delayed about a month by prevailing-wage objections. The objections were raised by Pipefitters and Plumbers Local 562 and the SEMO District Council of Carpenters.

The objections were raised over the wage rates that were determined by the Division of Labor Standards in regard to the projects.

Under state law, public works projects cannot be advertised for bid until wage rates have been set for the different construction crafts that will be involved.

The two labor unions filed their objections with the state on June 19, Moon said.

The pipefitters had argued that their rate, including fringe benefits, should be $30.53 an hour instead of the $15.45 rate that had been determined by the state, Moon said.

The carpenters had contended their rate, including fringe benefits, should be $18.10 instead of $15.25 an hour, he said.

Jay Keller of the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission said late Wednesday afternoon that the tentative agreement calls for the pipefitters to be paid $16.30 an hour, which includes $4.20 in fringe benefits.

The carpenters would be paid $18.10 an hour, including $1.95 for fringe benefits, for any project costing more than $750,000. Under that amount, the rate would be $14.87 an hour, including fringe benefits, Keller said.

Moon said none of the university projects would exceed $750,000.

Keller said Wednesday that a verbal agreement had been reached between Jim Boeckman, assistant director of the labor standards division, and Ron Gladney, a St. Louis attorney representing the two unions.

Keller said a copy of the agreement had been sent to Gladney to sign.

Moon said the wage objections from the labor unions had held up plans for construction of three elevators and widening of doorways in an effort to make the campus more accessible to the handicapped.

Ironically, the university had unsuccessfully sought state funding for several years to construct elevators in the Grauel Language Arts Building, and the social sciences and art buildings.

But earlier this summer, Gov. John Ashcroft approved a state budget for fiscal year 1993 that includes funding for the three elevators.

Actual construction of the elevators is expected to cost about $525,000, Moon said.

In addition to that project, the wage dispute has held up advertising for bids for a number of other projects, including laboratory improvements at Magill Hall of Science, residence hall renovations at Towers complex and seating improvements at Houck Stadium, as well as a number of other projects such as replacement of sidewalks and driveways.

Moon said university officials had pushed to get the wage dispute resolved rather than wait out the normal, lengthy process.

The prevailing-wage issue had been scheduled for a pre-hearing conference on July 28, followed by a hearing on Aug. 6.

On Tuesday, as efforts were under way to resolve the situation, Moon said the university was looking at how to move forward with the projects as quickly as possible.

He said university officials had been urging state wage officials to make a quick determination. "We have also asked the unions to consider withdrawing their objections," he added.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Moon said union leaders had indicated they wanted to resolve the matter so as not to hold up the construction projects.

Moon said that once the wage agreement has been formally approved, the university can get on with the projects.

He said he expects construction work to begin later this summer. "The idea that we can at least get some of the work done before school starts is a real plus to us."

The elevator project, however, is expected to take about five months to complete, said Moon.

Concerning the Houck Stadium seating project, Moon said it might be difficult to complete the job prior to the university's first home football game this fall.